Atletico overcome VAR setbacks to beat Juventus

Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal. Photograph: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/Getty Images
Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal. Photograph: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/Getty Images

Atletico Madrid took a huge advantage in their heavyweight Champions League last-16 tie with Juventus, earning a 2-0 home win thanks to late goals from Uruguayan defenders Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin in a tense, incident-packed game on Wednesday.

Gimenez slid to the floor in a crowded penalty box to bundle the ball into the net from close range in the 78th minute, after former Juve forward Alvaro Morata had had a goal ruled out following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.

Atletico also had a penalty awarded then taken away by the technology earlier in the game but only grew in determination and captain Godin grabbed a vital second goal in the 83rd minute to take into the return leg in Turin.

The veteran defender appeared at the near post to knock a loose ball into the net after Atletico wreaked havoc again from a set-piece, the shot deflecting off familiar foe Cristiano Ronaldo on its way in.